Tata Motors has won a tender from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to supply 15 hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell buses.
In December 2020, IOCL requested proposals for the supply of PEM fuel cell buses, and Tata Motors was selected as the winner following a thorough evaluation procedure. All 15 buses will be delivered within 144 weeks of the Memorandum of Understanding being signed (MOU).
Along with delivering buses to IOCL’s Research & Development Center, Tata Motors will engage with them on R&D projects and jointly research the possibilities of Fuel Cell technology for commercial vehicles. This will be accomplished through collaborative testing, maintenance, and operation of these public transportation buses in real-world settings throughout Delhi-NCR. Hydrogen will be used to refuel the buses, which will be generated and distributed by IOCL.
Sh. S.M.Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, noted that IndianOil has been a leader in advancing the nation’s efforts to establish a hydrogen economy for a variety of purposes, including mobility. This is the country’s first project of its sort, bringing together the country’s leading fuel supplier and major commercial vehicle manufacturer to advance hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. This effort will also serve as a springboard for numerous other crucial IndianOil initiatives, including the introduction of hydrogen-powered mobility on various famous routes and critical sectors around the country. These futuristic steps are necessary for hydrogen to become the ultimate net-zero fuel.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Girish Wagh, President, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “We are delighted to win this prestigious tender from IOCL for it adds to Tata Motors’ rich legacy of introducing future ready technologies for cleaner and greener public transport. We have successfully supplied 215 EV buses under FAME I and won orders for 600 EV buses under FAME II. This order to supply PEM Fuel Cell buses from a company as respected as Indian Oil Corporation, further encourages our ongoing efforts on developing India-focused alternative sustainable fuels to transform the future of mobility in India.”
